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The Screaming Moderate

'Deflector' Donald strikes again

6/1/2016

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Donald Trump’s attack on the media yesterday was ridiculous and done, ironically, for the cameras the media owns so that America’s voters could salivate over his “macho” personality in his attacks against journalists whose popularity ranks somewhere just above lawyers and businesspeople.

Macho is in quotes because he is not Macho Man. He is a coward who won’t answer the questions those reporters had because to answer them would be to admit he is a fraud. Therefore, he deflects.

His performance also had to be embarrassing to his endorsers. Chris Collins, R-NY, the first House member to endorse Trump, was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN shortly after Trump’s press conference. It was an awkward interview.

Collins tried to sidestep Blitzer’s questions, such as when Wolf asked him about Trump University and the presumed nominee's attacks on the judge presiding in the fraud case against Trump. Collins said he knew nothing about that and Wolf should ask Trump. Pressed again, Collins, beginning to melt into his seat, said, “Well, Wolf, I would not be making those kinds of accusations (the type Trump made). I don’t know the details of what prompted Mr. Trump to basically lay into the judge. I really – I would say, no, I would not be calling a judge out like that. But I’m not Mr. Trump and that’s a question to ask him.”

I can only imagine Collins telling his staff after the interview, “don’t ever put me in that situation again.” Well, Mr. Collins, you put yourself in that situation by endorsing a blowhard with no boundaries and no class like Trump.

In a moment of honesty during the press conference Trump admitted that the nasty man we all saw in that press conference is the same nasty man we will see if he’s elected to the Oval Office. Trump has no respect for the press and, more importantly, he has no respect for the Constitution, if he’s even read it. From what we know, he wants to change the Constitution to make it less protective of free speech and a free press and he seems not to respect the separation of powers among the three branches of our government.

Instead of responding to questions about the money he raised for veterans, which is why HE called the press conference, he verbally assaulted the media. He also continued his assault on the judge who is hearing a case involving alleged fraud against his defunct Trump University. Not only does he call that judge unfair, he spits out that the judge is also a suspected “Mexican!” That judge is a U.S.-.born citizen. I don’t know his heritage and, frankly, don’t care what it is. He is me and you, an American.

When Trump attacks a U.S. citizen in such a personal way, he attacks us all. When he attacks a judge, he is showing lack of respect for the separation of powers and, by the way, for his sister who is a federal judge. But she can speak for herself. On the other hand, she likely won’t because she does respect the separation of powers, is my guess.

Each day Trump demonstrates he does not have the temperament to be President. He throws tantrums when he’s treated “badly,” to use his word. Na na na na – “my daddy was richer than yours.” Well, my friend, Presidents are treated with respect by the media but with tough questions too. It’s their job to ask the tough questions. It would be your job to answer those questions or not, if you choose. But to attack the press and thus avoid responding to their questions, well, Mr. Macho Man, you are a coward. And not just because you call our captured warriors cowards, thus not respecting the job they do to protect your fancy houses and your ability to make money, but because you won’t answer a “tough” question from a reporter. Tough guy.

Trump uses these attacks on constituencies -- be they ethnic constituencies or gender constituencies or, now, even occupational constituencies -- to avoid answering the question he was asked. Call him  Deflector Donald.

What we saw in that press conference is what we’ll get if he’s elected. He made that clear. I want to believe that if he does keep up this type of behavior even those who endorsed him early will begin to back away, as Collins did yesterday. I said I “want to believe” because in this year, I don’t know what to believe.

 

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    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

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